With all of the hype surrounding the inaugural year of the University’s Division-1 team, club baseball (3-0) is proving there is another team in Eugene worth mentioning. Coming off of an impressive three-game sweep in Boise, Idaho, to begin the season, the Ducks hope to continue their hot start in a tournament starting tomorrow in Mesquite, Nev.
Hosting the tournament are the Weber State Wildcats, a conference team the Ducks face every year.
“They are our primary rivals,” head coach Quentin Clark said. “This is the first time we have played them outside of the regional tournament in two years, and it will be good to get a look at them before everything is on the line. We’ll go head-to-head against them and see how it goes, but I expect us to win.”
Also playing in the tournament are the University of California at Santa Barbara Gauchos, the Utah State Aggies and the Loyola Marymount Lions. The Aggies are familiar conference foes, but the Ducks have never faced the Gauchos or the Lions. Clark expects challenges from all of them, but is confident that the Ducks will have a strong showing at the tournament.
“I expect us to win all four games,” he said.
Clark’s confidence stems from the start of the season on Feb. 21 and 22 when the Ducks swept the Boise tournament by defeating Central Oregon Community College, Idaho State
Independent and Boise State University by a combined margin of fourteen runs.
The first game against COCC began at 10 a.m., but it wasn’t too early for the Ducks as they piled on six runs and gave up only one in seven innings. Sophomore Mike Loverro threw four innings, allowing only two hits and one earned run while registering one strikeout and a walk. Freshman Chase Pennington followed with three dominant innings, striking out six and giving up no walks. First baseman David Runberg carried the offense with three RBIs.
“It was nice to finally start playing,” said Runberg. “I was eager to get up there and get some at-bats. I just wanted to go out there and start the season in a good way and it worked out for me.”
The Ducks showed no signs of letting up in the second game against Idaho State Independent as they earned a 4-1 victory behind the pitching performance by Cam Gaulke. The junior pitched four innings of no-hit ball, striking out nine and walking only one.
“Cam looked phenomenal,” said Clark. “He had great movement and was hitting all of the corners.”
“It felt good to get back out there,” said Gaulke. “It was the first start of the year, and everything felt good. I was locating my pitches pretty well and my catcher, Chase, called a great game.”
The Ducks capped the tournament with a 7-1 victory over Boise State. Pitching was again the story as junior Evan Coller gave up only one unearned run in five innings and freshman Sean Susa finished the final two innings with three strikeouts. Overall, the Ducks’ pitching staff registered 25 strikeouts next to seven walks and only three runs during the tournament.
“Pitching and defense are definitely going to be strengths for us,” said Clark. “Last weekend we looked great on the mound. It was very early in the year and they were all hitting the corners and had great movement. Everyone on the staff is going to be strong. I expect the hitting to come around as well, and everything is setting up this year for a great run.”
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